When you think West Bromwich Albion have hit rock bottom under Eric Ramsay, they just seem to plunge to lower depths of misery.
Of course, it would have been a tall order to expect the Baggies to win at the weekend, as they welcomed Championship leaders Coventry City to the Hawthorns, but that doesn’t take away from how bleak the 2-0 loss still was, as the relegation-threatened hosts ended the grim affair with just one shot registered on target.
Ramsay does appear to be a dead man walking in the second-tier side’s dug-out, with zero wins collected so far from eight games in charge, pushing West Brom further and further into the dreaded relegation picture.
With reports now emerging that the ex-Minnesota United head coach’s future at the club is in serious doubt, who could West Brom look to appoint to salvage their season?
Well, there are several managerial targets reportedly in mind if Ramsay is finally put out of his suffering…
Who West Brom could replace Ramsay with
Ramsay did come out with a sense of defiance in his post-match words, but as per The Express and Star’s Lewis Cox, there is “huge pressure” on the former Wales assistant manager, now, with a sacking expected.
West Brom could go down the more experienced route with Ramsay’s replacement, with the rookie manager clearly out of his depth when it comes to the intense Championship, as an out-of-work Sean Dyche has been tipped to be on the Baggies’ radar.
After all, Dyche even won the Championship title as a manager in the past, and is well accustomed to the dramas of a relegation battle in the Premier League.
Moreover, in late January, it was also speculated that Russell Martin was keen to get back on the managerial horse with West Brom, with the ex-Southampton boss another out-of-work option that will surely be considered, if Ramsay is given the boot.
Yet, West Brom could be best placed to look more inward when immediately replacing the doomed 34-year-old, with claims in the last 48 hours indicating that Baggies legend James Morrison would likely be given the temporary reins again, if a sacking were to occur.
The forlorn West Midlands club does need some passion and know-how from the dug-out, and with Morrison’s reputation as a much-loved midfield great at the Hawthorns on his side, he could well turn into the Baggies’ next Carlos Corberan if all goes smoothly.
How Morrison could be Corberan 2.0
West Brom have never truly recovered from Corberan packing his bags for Valencia during the 2023/24 season, with the Baggies going from promotion material under the Spaniard to relegation candidates in the here and now.
Rather than constantly chopping and changing, though, West Brom will need this next appointment to be a stabilising one, and that could come in the form of Morrison being handed the permanent job, as the 39-year-old knows the West Midlands outfit inside and out, having notched up a staggering 341 games as a beloved player at the Hawthorns.
Of course, he would need to back up his legendary status at the club – which one saw Tony Pulis state that he has “blue and white stripes” running through him – with much-improved performances on the pitch, with a Corberan-esque turnaround perhaps needed to get a fractured fanbase back on side.
When Corberan entered the building during the 2022/23 season, West Brom were in a spot of relegation bother, only for the ex-Huddersfield Town manager to turn around the fortunes of the club in some style, with 45 league wins collected in total at the Baggies seeing a superb playoff finish happen during the 2023/24 campaign.
It would be a tough assignment on Morrison’s shoulders to pull off the same dramatic turnaround if he were to step into the dug-out post-Ramsay, but he will look to Corberan’s story for inspiration as he clamours for a main management gig, with the 42-year-old once just a second-in-command figure at the likes of Leeds United.
After learning from the likes of Marcelo Bielsa at Elland Road, Corberan was ready to explode into life as his own head coach, with Morrison’s long list of managers he’s worked alongside at the Baggies, in many different coaching roles, no doubt helping him in his coaching journey.
Morrison even brushed shoulders with Corberan for 46 games at West Brom, with the Scotsman also working alongside the likes of the extremely seasoned Steve Bruce and Sam Allardyce at the Hawthorns.
|
Morrison’s record as interim manager (24/25) |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Morrison |
|
Games managed |
2 |
|
Wins |
1 |
|
Draws |
1 |
|
Losses |
0 |
|
Goals scored |
5 |
|
Goals conceded |
3 |
When he has been handed the temporary gig in the past, he has shone, too, with no defeats collected last season from two games, when everything had gone pear-shaped after Tony Mowbray.
It would be a bold next step, but with all the failures that have occurred in recent times, taking a chance on an “unsung” club legend – as ex-West Brom manager Steve Clarke once called him – might well prove to be a masterstroke.
West Brom manager Eric Ramsay under “huge pressure” and on brink of sack after Coventry defeat
The Baggies boss is yet to register a win.